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Te Karere

Year in review: Protest, Three Waters, Ukraine dominate politics

December 24, 2022

They say a week is a long time in politics, and so a year is especially so. Here’s an overview of some of the big political action Te Karere has curated for 2022.

The political year started with a volatile hiss and a roar, perhaps a sign of what lay ahead for all five parties in the House.

On February 8 thousands camped out on Parliament Grounds protesting against vaccine mandates, the Covid Protection Framework, and promoting conspiracy theories.

Although there were many attempts to turn them away, the protesters remained almost a month, when on March 2 spectacular scenes of clashing between violent protesters and police moving in during the morning captured the nation's attention. The children’s play area outside of Parliament was set on fire and during Te Karere that day we were able to bring you live footage of the chaos that had ensued, with police regaining control around the parliamentary precinct. By 6.29pm it was all over and done with, police arresting 65 protesters.

Addressing the media at the time, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made it very clear what her stance was on the legality of the protest and the type of behaviour engaged in by the involved protesters.

Parliament protest.

“It was an illegal occupation they engaged in hostile, violent and aggressive behaviour throughout the occupation.

“And today that has culminated in the desecration of this Parliament's grounds.”

Throughout the year there was a gradual re-opening of the border for international travel into and out of Aotearoa, with the requirement to enter MIQ relaxed, with 28 of 32 MIQ facilities announced to return to being hotels by the end of June.

Then in August, without much fanfare, the last four remaining MIQ facilities became hotels again due to low occupancy rates, as stated by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Then just shy of six months from the February protests in September, the Government retired the Covid Protection Framework officially. Ardern told the media "we are moving on because the pandemic has moved on".

Circling back to February, a ruthless war broke out in Ukraine with the Russian Federation invading. Russian president Vladimir Putin has told media that what is happening in Ukraine is a “special military operation” aiming for the “demilitarisation” and “de-nazification” of Ukraine. It would take until April 11 for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to be deployed to assist with the transportation and distribution of donated military aid to support Ukraine’s self-defence against Russia.

Minister of Defence, Peeni Henare, told Te Karere at the time that “kua roa rawa mātou e mea atu ana, e hē ana ngā mahi a Russia me Putin anō hoki.

“Koia nei te take e tautoko mārika ana mātou me wā mātou hōia, i ngā whāinga o te Kāwanatanga.”

(For a very long time we’ve made our position that what Russia and Putin are engaging in is wrong. That’s why we absolutely support, and our soldiers, what the Government is aiming to do).

Since April, the NZDF has provided military training, alongside the UK, to Ukrainians and their recruits, continued to deploy NZDF staff to the UK in further support of Ukraine’s self-defence efforts. As of November 14, further support from NZDF to Ukraine going into 2023 has been confirmed.

And just earlier this month, Ukraine President Volodymr Zelesky addressed the NZ Parliament, and had kind words to share for the tautoko (support) provided by Aotearoa,

“I am grateful to you, dear friends, for the fact that New Zealand was one of the first countries to support Ukraine in its struggle for independence and justice.

“Today I'm in Te Puke, the heart of kiwifruit country!”

Christopher Luxon.

And it was those words that landed National Party leader Christopher Luxon in hot water back in July on his social media platform. The social media video containing that statement was posted while he was actually in Hawaii during Parliament’s three week recess. Luxon told media he didn’t mean for the confusion that he was in Te Puke when he was actually in Hawaii before going on to explain that he doesn’t publish the posts but takes responsibility for what has happened.

"We genuinely made a mistake and we own up to it, we front it."

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson not so forgiving, labelling the post misleading.

"I think a post that says you're in Te Puke on a particular day published on a day when you're actually in Hawaii is misleading."

However, Robertson also said that all politicians needed a break and could go wherever they wanted on a holiday.

Labour’s Willie Jackson also weighed in on the social media mishap vouching for Luxon’s character and honesty.

"I'm surprised to hear about that," Jackson said when told about what had happened.

"It doesn't seem to be in his character… He's generally a pretty honest sort of bloke."

Bullying allegations dogged both National and Labour this year as well. On August 9 Tauranga MP National’s Sam Uffindell confessed he was a bully at school after he was involved in an assault that saw him asked to leave from Auckland’s King’s College when he was 16.

Sam Uffindell.

“I was effectively a bully and I was, I was the main person,” Uffindell told media. Uffindell went on to explain he is sorry and ashamed for causing his victim to suffer more upon his election as MP and then said he welcomed more victims of his bullying to come forward.

Labour’s Dr Gaurav Sharma made accusations of bullying starting with an opinion piece for the New Zealand Herald published August 11 with allegations made against party whips, party leadership and Parliamentary Service. The following day Sharma posted to Facebook with more specific accusations made against Labour’s current whip Duncan Webb, former whip Kieran McAnulty, and PM Jacinda Ardern.

By August 22, Ardern confirmed that Sharma’s potential expulsion would be put forward in a motion and that the Electoral (Integrity) Amendment Act 2018 (the waka jumping act) wouldn’t be used so as to trigger a by-election because “"top of mind for us is not to cause undue expense to the taxpayer." On August 23, Ardern confirmed that caucus had voted to expel Sharma from the party, effectively making him an independent MP for his electorate (West Hamilton).

In what must have been an organising two months for Labour, by late October 2022 Sharma announced his resignation from the party which then triggered a by-election his seat, Hamilton West.

Dr Gaurav Sharma.

Held December 10, Sharma was defeated by National’s Tama Pōtaka.

Pōtaka explained to Te Karere becoming a MP was an aspiration he had held for quite a long time, ever since he met his wife some three decades ago.

“Kua toru tekau tau pea au e whai whakaaro ana.

“I te wā i tūtaki māua ko Wife, nāku te kī atu ki a ia, oh well, ā tōna wā pea ka waimarie, ka maringanui au ki te uru atu.”

(I’ve been thinking of standing for 30 years. When I met my wife, I said to her, oh well, someday I might get lucky, and have the opportunity to get into Parliament).

The Greens also saw some drama, with James Shaw ousted as co-leader on July 25 before returning as co-leader six weeks later by September 9.

Dramas aside, Labour Māori MP Adrian Rurawhe was sworn in as the speaker of the 53rd Parliament on August 24, becoming the second Māori to have held the role with Sir Peter Tapsell the first. Rurawhe’s position as speaker follows on from when Trevor Mallard announced in June he was moving on from the role. Rurawhe’s whakapapa (genealogy) not lost to members of the Labour Party, being a great grandson of Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, the founder of the Ratana movement, a religion that has very strong ties to the Labour Party.

Ending the year off, the controversial Three Waters reform bill passed it’s third reading, despite vocal opposition some from councils and some iwi around the Govt’s plan to combine the country’s water infrastructure into four regional bodies. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta telling Te Karere that the bill has had Māori input and covers off areas of Māori interest such as who has mana over water and the governance of water.

"Kuhu mai ngā whakaaro o te ao Māori ki roto ki tērā o ngā pire, anā , kia aro atu ki te wai, te mana o te wai me te whakahaeretanga o ā tātou nei wai."

(Maori ideas have been included in the bill which of course focuses on water, mana over water, and the governance of our waters).

Looking ahead to 2023, which is election year, the Government’s merger of TVNZ-RNZ is set to go ahead, despite National promising to reverse the process should they get into power, 2023 is set to be another big year in politics.

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